


Roommates

by SchuylerSister16 (orphan_account)



Series: The Neverwinter High School Anthology [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Cannon level swearing, F/F, F/M, Griffin's HS AU, High School, M/M, Neverwinter High School AU, TAZ HS AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-09-28 20:18:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17189720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/SchuylerSister16
Summary: When Angus starts school at Neverwinter High School, he's a little unsure of himself, especially since he has a grouchy new roomate. But luckily for him, an adoption by the Starblaster kids and their roommate horror stories may be just what he needs to settle in.





	1. Checking In

The Balance Dormitory was an exercise in modern architecture, complete with too many windows and an open floorplan in the lobby. Most people would love it. Angus, however, felt as if he was in a fishtank.

Maring the peaceful atmosphere the lobby was obviously supposed to invoke was the long line of nervous freshmen waiting to be assigned their rooms. Angus stood in the back of it, clutching a _Caleb Cleveland_ novel and adjusting his glasses every so often.

“Well, never thought I’d meet another Clevelander!” A twangy southern drawl from behind him startled him out of his thoughts, belonging to a smallish girl with dark skin, intelligent eyes, and braids.

Angus fumbled a bit but quickly recovered. “Y-you, you like _Caleb_ _Cleveland_ too?”

The girl nodded and her smile lit up her entire face. “It’s my favorite series of all time! I’m June Johnson, by the way.” And she stuck out her hand for a shake.

Angus took it and said, “Angus McDonald. Are you a freshman too?” She nodded and bounced on the toes of her mary janes, which looked nice with her yellow gingham dress. Angus was dressed fancy too, in a white collared shirt, khakis, and navy blue vest.

“Where’d you travel from?” he asked politely, reminded of a lesson in etiquette taught by his grandfather.

June snorted. “A lil old town called Refuge, Alabama. The city’s giving scholarships to anybody who wants to come and study here.” Angus racked his brain, but had never heard of such a town, nor seen it on any of his maps at home. “See those folks over there? They came with me.” June pointed to a group of kids seated around a small table that looked unsure of themselves, but were laughing amongst each other.

The line crept forwards at a snail’s pace as the freshman were assigned rooms and roommates. In the meantime, Angus and June began to make small talk about _Caleb Cleveland_ and watching upperclassmen.

“They get smaller every year,” said a thin young man in garish clothes to his equally thin and garish sister, gesturing to Angus and June. Their clothes almost matched, as did their hair; both wore it shaved on one side and long on the other.

“Or maybe you just keep gettin taller every year,” June joked with a wide smile. Neither of the twins smiled back, instead the sashayed away as if on a runway or red carpet with their noses in the air.

Finally, they reached the plastic table serving as roommate headquarters, staffed by an older black girl and a short red-headed boy. “Names please?”

“June Johnson and Angus McDonald.” The girl made a few taps on her Ipad and peered at it intently, while the boy scribbled something onto a legal pad.

“Okay June, looks like you’re in the Moon wing in room 105.” June said goodbye to Angus while dragging her suitcase behind her.

“And Angus, you’re in the Star Wing in room 103.” She handed him a pamphlet of some kind, then sent him towards the left side of the atrium and through an blue door.

Unfortunately, the hall didn’t have as many windows. It was rather utilitarian and stark, with gray carpets, doors, and walls, with numbers painted on the doors. Finally, he opened the door to room 103, and was pleasantly surprised. Most of the back wall was a large picture window with drapes on either sides.

The rest of the room was fairly simple: two beds, two large cabinets for clothes, and two desks, with a shared nightstand in the middle.

“Hey! You’re in the wrong room, kid.” Angus nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of his roommate he’d almost forgotten. He was clad in an outfit that probably cost more than Angus’s family saw in an entire year.

“Is this room 103?” Angus asked, glancing down at his brochure to see if it offered advice on dealing with grouchy roommates. It did not.

The boy leaned back on his bed with a childish glare. “Yeah. What’s it to ya?”

“Then I’m in the right place,” Angus declared, setting his battered leather suitcase on his bed. He started unpacking his meager possessions, which mostly consisted of books and a few changes of clothes.

His roommate looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. “No you’re not! I requested a single room!”

“There are no single rooms,” Angus replied, handing him the brochure. “It says so right here.” And his roommate stormed out, stamping his feet loud enough to create mini earthquakes.

And Angus was alone.

But Angus didn’t mind so much. He was an only child being shuttled between his father and grandfather’s houses, so loneliness was inherently part of his life. He found it peaceful.

He pulled out the brochure they’d given him. “‘Welcome to the first day of your new life,’” he read aloud, then stopped to laugh. They made it sound like he was at a seminar or maybe a summer camp. Certainly not a school. The brochure contained a schedule for the next two days, which were set aside for freshmen like himself to get acquainted with their new school.

“Hey, hey, hey, mind if I pop in?” A lanky kid with an explosion of orange curls and a smiling face suddenly opened the door, startling Angus. He was dressed in flip flops, khaki shorts with hundreds of pockets, and a neon orange shirt that red “Camp Goodfriend Counselor.”

“I’m Art Goodfriend,” he grinned, shaking Angus’s hand with visible enthusiasm. “Welcome to Neverwinter High School. I’m the President of the welcome club, among other things.”

“Oh, uh, I’m Angus.” Art’s relentless cheer and blinding neon shirt made Angus slightly nauseous, but he forged ahead. “The brochure said something about a welcome buddy...do you know who that would be?”

Art shook his head and his explosive curls quivered. “It’s a pretty random thing. And besides, my vice pres, Brad Bradson was in charge of that. Good talking to ya!” And he handed Angus a yellow smiley face button on his way out.

“Oh, you’re still here.” The roommate reappeared and began unpacking several expensive suitcases. “I had to go all the way to the Amnesty building to get this straightened out.”

“And you’re staying?” Angus asked hesitantly.

“Unfortunately.”

“Then could I get your name?”

The boys sighed long and loud as if talking to Angus was a truly exhausting experience. “Artemis Sterling.” He didn’t volunteer anymore information, and Angus didn’t ask.

“All right, which one of you gremlins is Angus?” In the doorway stood yet another thin young man in semi-garish clothes, but he wasn’t the same one from earlier. This one was wearing a skirt.

“I’m not a gremlin,” Angus laughed, jumping up to greet him.

He rolled his mascared eyes. “Whatever, I’m still not feeding you at night.”


	2. Lunchtime

“Look kiddo, the only reason I’m a welcome buddy is because Creesh signed me up without asking.” Taako had much longer legs than Angus, forcing him to practically jog down the hall to keep up. How he could walk fast in heels was a mystery to Angus. “I’m supposed to introduce you to my roommates.”

“Oh, um...okay,” Angus shrugged, and they entered one of the triple rooms. There was a single loft bed on one wall, and a bunk bed on the other. Every inch of wall was either occupied by furniture or a poster.

“Fellas, meet Ango.”

A giant bear of a senior swung down from the top bunk, making the ceiling fan and framed pictures sway. “Nice to meet you, Mango,” he said, ruffling his hair a little. Based on his massive form and cleats poking out from under a desk, Angus guessed he was a football player. “I’m Magnus Burnsides.”

“Angus, actually.”

“Ango, Mango, it’s all the same,” snorted the roomate from atop the loft. Angus startled at his voice; he sounded like an old man, but with a squeaky teen voice. “Besides, this idiot over here is named after a Latin American speciality. ” It was baffling.

Taako rolled his eyes. “Merle, we’ve been over this, it’s Turkish.” Merle’s eyes suddenly got huge when they met Angus’s.

“Oh shit!” Merle exclaimed, hurriedly descending the loft ladder. “I’m supposed to check in on my cousins! They’re the same age as you,” he added, gesturing to Angus.

“Who’re they staying with?” asked Magnus, cracking all ten of his knuckles with a loud pop.

Merle didn’t look up from tugging on a ratty pair of Birkenstocks. “Mookie somehow ended up with Klaarg G’nash, and Mavis is with a black girl I've never met.”

Taako looked up in surprise. “How the hell did _that_ happen? And who names their kid Mookie?!” But Merle was already gone, the sound of his Birkenstocks fading down the hall.

Magnus studied Angus with a friendly smile. “So Mango, thinking about going out for sports?” _Thor,_ Angus thought to himself. _This guy is a real-life Thor._

“Not really,” Angus admitted. “I prefer reading.”

“Oh God, Creesh and Barold are gonna love this kid,” Taako snorted, and Magnus nodded solemnly. “How about any clubs?”

“I don’t know, school’s really important to me.”

Magnus gasped in mock horror. “He’s a mathlete!”

Angus was actually considering joining the Mathletes. “That sounds kinda fun,” he replied, feeling a little bit of hit on his cheeks. It wasn’t the coolest thing to do, but Angus had been doing math _for fun_ since he was seven. Besides, the Neverwinter Knights had one of the best Mathlete teams in the whole state.

“I can introduce you to the captain,” Taako suggested, tapping away at his phone with a bored expression. “He’s a huge nerd.”

Magnus nodded, then glanced at the clock. “Holy shit! We’re gonna be late for lunch and they’re serving turkey clubs!” And he dashed out of the room, Taako and Angus strolling behind him. They exited the dorm and heading for the massive glass cube that Taako said was the dining hall. Already, a line of students stretched out the door.

“Hey, Taako, get over here!” The same kids who’d been directing roommate headquarters in the lobby waved him and Angus closer to the front of the line. Magnus and Merle were already there, and so was June!

June brigthened up right away as soon as she saw him. “Angus! Good to see you again.”  

“I see you’re not the only one with a welcome buddy,” said a student who looked like a female version of Taako.

Taako leaned on her shoulder with a crooked smile. “Angus, this is my twin sister, Lup.” Both had long hair, medium brown skin, and expertly applied makeup. She however, was wearing a soccer sweatshirt and jeans. “Creesh seemed to think I’d be a great role model for impressionable young children such as Angus. Speaking of which, Angus, this is Lucretia.”

“Oh, I remember you,” Lucretia said, shaking Angus’s hand. “You’ll see me a lot around the school.” Angus liked her right away. There was something about the way she held herself and smiled at him that put him at ease.

“Yeah, she’s the president of everything,” said the redheaded guy beside her.

“And you’re the vice president of everything, Davenport,” Lup snorted, then suddenly snatched a boy in blue jeans and glasses from the line and gave him a kiss. “And this is my boyfriend, Barry.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said in a gruff voice, a little flustered by Lup’s affection. The line crept forward, inch by inch, with the seven students plus June and Angus joking around the entire time.

“It’s good to have the Starblaster crew together again,” Davenport declared and everyone nodded.

“The Starblaster crew?” June questioned as she grabbed a tray from a stack on the buffet. “How come ya’ll call yourselves that?” The seven of them burst into hysterical laughter. The entire lunchroom stared at them, especially since Magnus’s laugh was equivalent to a bear’s roar.

“Well, when we were freshmen,” Lup began, but she caught Barry’s eye and doubled over with laughter, unable to continue.

“We put on this horrible skit that Taako wrote for the winter talent show,” Merle continued in between wheezy giggles. “And we...and it…” He too succumbed to teary-eyed laughter.

Taako managed to choke out, “And it was about astronauts on a ship,” before laughing so hard his face turned red and no sound could escape him.

“A ship called the _Starblaster_ ,” finished Lucretia with a weak chuckle, wiping a tear from her eyes. As they loaded their trays in silence, occasional giggles could still be heard. The nine of them all ended up at a table closest to the fireplace, laughing and talking to other students around them.

“So Ango, tell us about your roommate,” Davenport said, busy munching on a turkey sandwich.

Angus wasn’t sure how to describe him without being mean, but forged ahead. “Um, his name is Artemis…and…”  

“The kid has a _major_ stick up his ass,” Taako interrupted between bites of Greek salad. The eight others laughed, but stopped when they noticed Angus’s pained expression.

Lup nodded knowingly. “Things not going to well, huh? Well, you’ve got a week to get things switched around.”

“Really?” Angus asked, suddenly feeling a lot more hopeful. “That’s good. He really doesn’t like me.”

“Well, some handle the dorm life better than others,” Lucretia said with a pointed glance at both Lup and Taako.

Lup raised her hands as if surrendering. “It’s not my fault that Lydia is a prick!”

“Are you kidding me?” said Taako with mock disbelief. “Edward’s by far the shittier one.”

“Who’re Lydia and Edward?” asked June, glancing around the cafeteria.

Taako covertly gestured to a pair of twins directly opposite them. “See those two fashion disasters over there?” The boy and girl were both dressed in garish clothes, with long hair shaved on the side.

“Hey we’ve met them before,” Angus exclaimed. “Well, not exactly _met_ them. They did comment on us while we were in line.”

“Then you’ve met Lydia and Edward Iontas,” Merle said with a disdainful snort. “The wonder twins.” Based on everyone’s looks of disgust, the Iontas siblings didn’t seem to be very popular.

Lucretia pushed her plate back and said to Angus, “the administration thought it would be a good idea for Taako and Edward to be in one dorm, and Lydia and Lup in another.”

June finished sipping her soda with a curious expression. “How’d it go?”

“Oh honey,” Lup smiled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Have I got a story for you!”


	3. The Blacklist

It had been a rather unremarkable day, according to the dual narrations of Taako and Lup. Edward and Lydia weren’t supposed to arrive till the next day, so both twins spent the night by themselves.

“And then _she_ walked in,” Lup mused, staring at Lydia from across the cafeteria. “It was like seeing a really shitty version of myself.”

“Do you always dress like that?” said Lydia with a sneer. Lup’s freshman style had been pretty basic; just cute t-shirts and ripped jeans.

“Do you always say dumb shit?” Lup retorted without looking up from her phone. Lots of people criticized Lup for various reasons. Lydia was nothing special. And an hour was spent watching Lydia unpack all of her hideous clothes (according to Lup) and listening to her “weakass excuses for insults.”

“Edward and I had a similar exchange,” Taako broke in, also glaring at his rival across from the cafeteria. “Except I called him a prick.”

Taako and Lup both spent two days lobbing insults and avoiding the Iontas twins whenever possible. The final straw was evidently when Taako and Edward had gone head to head for the same minor role in the fall musical.

“I got the part, obviously,” Taako bragged with a smirk, taking a gloating sip from his Snapple. “He was dumb enough to pick a song from _Phantom_.”

June’s fascinated look was replaced by confusion. “ _Phantom_?”

“ _Phantom of the Opera_ ,” he explained in an exasperated tone, as if everyone knew that. “It’s been done to death.”

“Anyways,” Lup continued with an eye roll. “Edward and Taako started yelling at each other in the quad, so of course I jumped in to help.”

At this, Magnus added, “it was the first of many battles between the Cerci and Iontas twins.”

“Yeah, Lup’s good at kicking on and off the soccer field,” said Barry, beaming with pride at his girlfriend.

Angus gasped. “You got into a _fight?_ ”

“Wasn’t much of a fight.” Surprisingly, it was Lucretia who added that. “Lydia’s heel snapped off and they immediately called for a ceasefire.”

“So we got put on the blacklist,” finished Taako with a wicked grin.

“What’s that?” June asked.

Magnus picked up the question.“It’s a list of people that can’t share the same dorm because it doesn’t go well.”

“We actually ended up rooming together sophomore year because of the blacklist,” Merle added, gesturing to Taako and Magnus. “Maggie’s roommate turned out to be an asshole.”

The enthusiastic grin Magnus always seemed to wear suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a more somber frown. Everyone else glared at Merle. “Shit! My bad!”

June and Angus exchanged confused glances. Would it be better to ask or find out later?

Suddenly, a commotion from across the cafeteria could be heard. “Nice ass, Jules!” Magnus was on his feet right away with a dangerous frown. Angus’s blood started to boil, guys that catcalled deserved to be hit in the head with something blunt.

“Magnus, be careful,” Lucretia warned, but she too was angrily searching for the perpetrator. “You know Julia can handle herself.”

The girl in question was staring down a beefy guy with a leather jacket and slicked back hair who looked like a member of the T-birds. “Mind your manners,” she spat, and threw her drink in his face without hesitation. As the beefalo kid started swearing like a maniac, she headed for the Starblaster table without looking back.

“That was nothing short of legendary,” crowed Lup, who’d filmed the entire altercation to put on Snapchat.

Magnus pulled her into a hug, then looked her over as if checking for wounds. “Are you okay, dove?”

“Yes deer,” Julia replied with a laugh. “Marvey is hardly what I’d call dangerous.” She was dressed simply, in a colorful blouse with white pants; her brown curly hair tied back with a patterned headband. Curiously, her arms were well muscled, like she spent all her time working out with Magnus.

Merle leaned over to June and Angus and whispered, “That guy was Maggie’s former roommate and Julia’s former boyfriend.” Marvey’s lackeys were yelling utter nonsense mixed with swear words as Marvey leaned back with a smirk.

“You’ve gotta be kidding,” June whispered back. “Why would a nice gal like her date such a thug?”

“He wasn’t always like that,” answered Merle cryptically.

“Is Magnus gonna fight him?” asked Angus, simply based on how deadly Magnus’s glare was and his two raised middle fingers. Marvey looked ready to start swinging.

Taako leaned in to the conversation. “Not during football season. He could get kicked off the team.” Sure enough, Julia tugged him back into his chair and the two of them began talking and laughing about other things.

“C’mon Marvey, why bother with that cow?” Loud enough for all to hear was none other than Lydia Iontas, who slid in next to Marvey. To her credit, Julia remained unbothered in spite of the insult.

Lup, however, was losing her patience. “I’ll smash that bird beak of yours if you don’t shut up!” Lydia colored bright red and sat down. Her nose wasn’t that big, but it was quite pointy, and it seemed to be a sore spot with her.  

The entire cafeteria seemed very invested in the outcome of the spat. “You tell em, Lup,” called a rail-thin girl with electric blue hair. Lup winked, and then resumed glaring at Lydia.

“Knock it off, Lup,” Lucretia ordered, yanking her back into her seat. “Lydia’s not worth losing your spot on the soccer team.”

The tension in Lup’s shoulders settled and a smirk returned to her face. “Hence the blacklist,” she said to Angus and June. “Imagine the two of us trying to live together.”

“I have some advice for you two.” Julia, sharing a chair with Magnus, looked serious all of a sudden. “Stay away from Marvey. He’s trouble.” June and Angus nodded solemnly and her smile returned.

“And the Iontas twins,” added Taako, shooting Lydia a nasty glare.

Julia sighed loudly. “I wish I could do that. Cheer camp was hell with her around.”

“She got picked as captain again?” Lup asked incredulously.

“Of the flyers. But I’m captain of the bases,” Julia said with a triumphant smile. Magnus also beamed with pride. Angus and June were once again, very confused.  

“Flyers are the ones doing all the cool shit in the air,” explained Taako, scrolling instagram with a bored expression. “Bases like Julia hold em up and keep it from going to shit.”

Julia nodded in agreement, then turned to Merle. “How’s Hekuba doing?” Merle waved his arm and muttered something about stubbornness before attacking his turkey club again.  

“Getting in a relationship at a boarding school can have consequences,” Lucretia reminded Angus and June. “The breakup drama is unbelievable.”

“Guys, we’re supposed to be giving Mango roommate some roommate advice.”

“Oh shit, that’s right.”


	4. Good Advice

Several eyes turned to Angus all at once which felt vaguely uncomfortable to him. “So Ango, what’s the issue with the stick-up-his-as kid?” asked Magnus with a smile.

“I just want us to be on speaking terms,” Angus confessed, feeling silly and desperate as he said it. “We don’t even have to be best friends!” Everyone nodded understandingly with sympathetic smiles. Somehow, the Starblaster crew made Angus feel more at home, even though they’d only just met.

“Have you tried talking to him?” Julia seemed genuinely concerned about his roommate situation, which Angus appreciated. “Maybe he’s just not sure where to start.”

“The only thing I know is that his name is Artemis Sterling,” sighed Angus. Everyone at the table gasped, including Magnus, who nearly choked on his Red Bull.

Lucretia’s eyes were huge with shock. “Are you sure, Angus?”

“Yeah why?” The Starblaster kids exchanged knowing looks.

June was equally confused. “Who in the sam hill is he?”

“His dad’s the mayor of Neverwinter,” explained Taako, no longer impressed and scrolling Instagram once more. “I think he owns some of the land the school’s on too.”

“That explains it,” Lucretia agreed. “His dad called us a couple hours ago, demanding a single room, but we don’t have anywhere to put him except with Angus.”

Lup was also scrolling Instagram, as well as systematically eating Barry’s doritos whenever he wasn’t looking. “But you can’t let him walk over you, otherwise you’ll be miserable.”

“If all else fails, Maggie can just rough em up,” Merle suggested, fiddling with his hawaiian shirt and eating chex mix. “Scare em a little, you know?”

Julia shook her head. “Magnus will _not_ be doing that, even if the roommate is a jerk.” As the table descended into petty but lighthearted squabbles, Angus sat and pondered what to do.

Across the room, at a table squeezed into a corner, was the roommate in question. He was hanging out with other freshman, who were steadfastly ignoring him.

Artemis was alone.

And unlike Angus, he obviously wasn’t happy about it.

Jarring Angus out of his thoughts was the bell signaling the end of lunchtime. “Taako, Lup, you have to take them to Club Hub in an hour,” Lucretia reminded the twins.

Taako shook his head. “No can do, Lulu. I’ve gotta sit at the Cooking Club table.”

“And I’m supposed to be supervising soccer tryout sign-ups,” added Lup.

Lucretia sighed, then pulled out her phone. “Well, Dav and I have to be at the ASB table, Magnus has football promo, Julia’s got cheer, Merle’s doing chess, Barry’s on Mathletes…so who’s gonna hang out with them?”

“I’d say Krav could do it, but he’s busy with his orchestra shit,” snorted Taako. “What about Killian or Carey?”

“Track and gymnastics.”

“Hatchi matchi!”

“Wait...what about Avi?” suggested Lup. “He’s not on sign up duty at all.” The three of them nodded, and then Lup was introducing them to a dark-skinned senior a few minutes later.

“Aren’t you supposed to keep track of your own sidekicks?” asked Avi with a raised eyebrow. He was tall and fairly handsome, with his hair pulled up into a bun and kind eyes.

“Goddamnit Avi, I will steal your cleats again,” Lup snapped, and neither Angus nor June could tell if she was joking.

Avi raised his hands as if surrendering. “Okay, okay, I’ll meet them in the lobby. I promised Maggie I’d help him set up the promo table for the first game.” And he jogged out of the lunchroom for parts unknown.

They wandered back to the dorm, minus Lup, who had to set up for the soccer team’s table. “How's your roommate, June?” asked Angus politely.

"There’s a gal named Mavis who’s our age…but she’s kinda quiet. She seems real smart, though.”

Angus nodded thoughtfully. “Mavis…I think Merle said something about having a cousin with that name.”

June frowned and then nodded. “They do look alike.”

They parted ways in the lobby, which was much quieter now that everyone had been sorted out. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the vast windows, nearly blinding Angus as he strode back to his room.

“I hate it here, dad.” Angus paused outside his door at the sound of his roommate’s sad voice. “None of the other kids like me.”

A short pause followed. “Dad, you can’t just buy yourself friends. It’s high school, not a boardroom.”

“Okay dad, have a nice day. You too. Goodbye.” Angus walked in shortly after, and Artemis immediately rearranged his face into a haughty glare. “Oh. It’s you again.”

Steeling himself for the worst, Angus asked, “Do you wanna go with me and my friend June to the club hub? This guy named Avi is showing us around.”

“Sounds lame,” Artemis muttered, pulling out his phone and ignoring him.

Angus switched tactics. “Who’re you going with?”

“My welcome buddy. Some girl named Antonia.”

“Oh.” Angus’s brain raced to formulate a solution. “Well, you could bring her too. The more the merrier, right?”

“Look kid,” Artemis snarled, slamming his phone onto his desk. “I don’t know what your deal is, but why don’t you just leave me alone?”

“Cause I want to at least get to know you,” Angus yelled back, the simmering vat of his frustration suddenly boiling over. “And you won’t even give me a chance! We’re roommates, for crying out loud!”

For the first time since he’d met him, Artemis’s smug look had been startled right off of his face. “I’m just trying to be nice,” added Angus quietly, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

“You actually want to be nice to me?” Angus barely heard his quiet voice, obviously humbled and grateful. “All the other freshmen hate me.”

“Well…maybe it’s cause you’re always acting like you’re so much better,” suggested Angus, treading carefully so as not to upset him. “I mean…maybe if you just treated everyone like equals…they’d like you more.”

Artemis pondered that with a frown for several minutes. Angus alternated between reading _Caleb Cleveland: The Case of the Curious Coffin_ and politely glancing at Artemis for signs of wanting to talk.

“Are Avi and June nice?”

Angus nearly jumped out of his skin at Artemis’s sudden question. “Uh, yeah. June’s really nice,” he stammered, his usually eloquent sentences startled right out of him.

“Anontia's pretty nice too…I think she’d like it if we all went together.” And for the first time all day, Artemis was actually smiling. And not a smug smile, but a genuine, beaming grin. “Is, is that okay?”

“Sure,” Angus grinned, eagar that his plan had worked. “That sounds great.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed Roommates! Keep your eyes open for more works coming soon to the Neverwinter High Anthology. Thanks for your support!


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